


Warm Winter

by haengbokies



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 3+1 kind of thing, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bang Chan is Whipped, Friends to Lovers, He is also oblivious, M/M, emma kath rini lu this is for you (and everyone else too ily), happy valentine's day, i'm sorry everyone besides minchan is literally mentioned like once, minho is a sweetheart, rated T for language and like one mention of alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haengbokies/pseuds/haengbokies
Summary: 3 times Chan accidentally kind of confesses to Minho and the one time Minho definitely confesses to Chan."It starts in December. Kind of. Chan has liked Minho for as long as he can remember, and certainly before December, but December is when he slips up about it for the first time. He’s good at keeping it a secret usually, never even alluding to the fact that he’d much rather have Minho as a boyfriend than just as a friend."
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 18
Kudos: 78





	Warm Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!  
> I promised a lot of people a minchan fic, so here it is~  
> I hope you enjoy!  
> (I'm really sorry if the spacing is shit, I tried)

1\. The first snow  
It starts in December. Kind of. Chan has liked Minho for as long as he can remember, and certainly before December, but December is when he slips up about it for the first time. He’s good at keeping it a secret usually, never even alluding to the fact that he’d much rather have Minho as a boyfriend than just as a friend. Feelings are complicated, he thinks, and there’s no way Minho would like him anyway, so why ruin their friendship. There’s no need to do that, he reasons with himself. Even if his heart jumps every time Minho smiles at him, even if he itches to hold the other’s hand, even if he wants nothing more than to kiss him, he’s not going to say anything. That’s what he promises himself, but his heart and brain have different plans.

So it starts in December, with the first snowfall. Minho and him are walking to the campus library when he feels the first snowflakes softly land on his face. He turns his face upwards to see the flakes falling in masses, the sky white with clouds. Next to him, Minho lets out a surprised noise. Chan focuses his eyes on the other boy just in time to see a smile blooming on his face. Minho’s eyes sparkle, and his smile is open-mouthed, as if he’s in awe of the weather so much he can’t keep it closed. Chan is struck again with how much he loves him. Minho slowly turns around himself, facing the sky and holding out his hands to let the cold flakes land in his palms. He giggles softly when a one daring snowflake hits him right in the eyes. Then he notices Chan staring. He quirks an eyebrow at him before he drops his hands and fully turns to face him.

“You okay there?” he asks, and Chan would almost say he sounds concerned, but he knows Minho is playing around. He likes to tease him for spacing out, unaware that Chan usually isn’t spacing out, but just trying to calm his heart because he’s suddenly overcome with a surge of love and affection for his friend. Chan scrunches his face.   
“I’m fine,” he says and Minho nods. “It’s snowing, Channie” he then points out, as if Chan hadn’t noticed that himself. He can’t even manage a response, his words getting stuck in his throat when Minho grabs his hand to turn it around, letting the snow fall on it, much like he’d done it himself before. 

“It’s so pretty” Minho says, gaze turned towards the sky again. Chan just nods. Minho’s hand is soft and warm under his, and he really doesn’t know how to deal with that. So he stands and watches the sky with him for a few more minutes, before Minho declares it’s too cold to just stand around. His beanie is white now, the snow on it softly melting, his nose is red and his eyes still sparkling. Chan thinks he’s never seen anyone as beautiful. The snow has settled on the ground and the grass quickly, hiding their campus under a white blanket. Their steps leave footprints in the fresh snow as they make their way to the library, arriving with their shoes and jackets covered in the powder. 

It’s only after they’ve already been in the library for some time that Chan finally finds his voice again.  
“You know” he says, and Minho looks up from his notes curiously. “They say that if you confess during the first snow you will stay together for a long time.”   
Minho furrows his eyebrows in confusion for a millisecond before he breaks out into a smile instead.   
“Who are you confessing to?” He asks. Chan shrugs. “You” he wants to say, but he doesn’t. He curses himself for even bringing it up. Why say that when he has no intention of sharing his feelings with Minho and no intention of confessing to him, first snow or not.  
“I just like the saying,” he says instead. Minho nods, but his expression shows that he doesn’t quite buy Chan’s lie. “You’re sappy.” is all he says before he turns his attention to his notes again.  
Chan can’t focus on his work anymore for the rest of the day.

Minho brings it up again when they’re walking back to the bus stop, the snow now thick under their shoes, every step making it crunch. It’s dark, it’s always dark in winter, so he can only see Minho’s face partially, illuminated by the crappy streetlights that never seem to work properly.  
“Who did you mean, when you talked about confessing earlier?” Minho asks, more careful this time. It’s as if he knows Chan is scared to share it with him. Chan just shrugs again.  
“No one, really.” He can feel Minho’s stare even if he can’t see it. Minho slightly nudges his side with his elbow, not willing to take his hands out of his pockets.   
“You know you can tell me, right?” and yes, Chan knows Minho wouldn’t judge him if he had a crush on anyone, wouldn’t make fun of his romantic ideas, wouldn’t laugh at him even if he gave an outlandish answer. But he doesn’t know how Minho would react to him admitting that the only person he wants to confess to his Minho himself. 

“I know,” he says, voice soft. “But really, there is no one.”   
Minho doesn’t question him further. It’s only when his bus arrives, and he has to leave Chan to wait on his own for another ten minutes that he makes one last comment about it.  
“I’m glad there’s no one.” He says, and Chan doesn’t even get what he’s referring to. By the time he understands Minho has already disappeared into the bus and Chan is left to sort his thoughts in the cold alone.

2\. Christmas (almost)

It’s a few days before Christmas, when Chan’s brain to mouth filter fails him once again. Almost everyone is going home for the holidays, so they’re having a small party with their friends before everyone leaves. They’re meeting at Chan and Changbin’s place and of course Minho came early, “just to spend some extra time with you” he’d said. The reality is that he’s currently sitting at the kitchen table, cursing.

“Why the fuck is it so hard to wrap presents?” he scoffs, looking at the abundance of crumpled paper and tape in front of him. Chan laughs at him. “Seriously!” Minho says, glaring at him. “It’s impossible. I hold the paper in one place and tape then it’s gone from another place, there’s too much paper then not enough, I can’t even take the tape off and stick it again because it ruins the stupid fragile paper and who even decided that presents fucking needed to be wrapped??” he rants. He’s serious, and it’s adorable to Chan, who just watches him huff in annoyance when he once again can’t get the corners of the wrapping paper to cooperate with him. 

“Bang Chan, stop laughing and help me instead.” Minho eventually demands, raising the scissors in his left hand slightly, an empty threat. Chan is still laughing but he sits down across from Minho, already accepting that he’ll wrap all the presents in the end. “Why are you wrapping presents in my kitchen anyway?” He says, instead of immediately giving in to Minho’s plea. “Maybe I was hoping someone would be kind enough to help out a poor soul like me that is just useless at wrapping presents.” He admits, fake pouting at Chan, who can feel his heart suddenly beating faster. Minho is exceptionally cute again today, wearing a blue sweater and polar bear earrings. Chan is so in love with him. 

“Well you know what they say,” he starts, motioning at Minho to slide the presents and scissors over to his side of the table. Minho obliges and tilts his head, silently encouraging Chan to continue. “You’re either hot or good at wrapping presents.” Chan finishes, then immediately regrets it. Minho stares at him blankly, and Chan can feel his face burn up. Suddenly the wrapping paper on the table is the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. He’s trying hard not to look at Minho, who is slowly rolling down his sweater sleeves, before he coughs a little, to get Chan’s attention again. Chan avoids his eyes and instead focuses on the wall behind his head. He’s fairly certain his face is redder than ever before, and his heart might break out of his chest any second.

“You know,” Minho says, and his tone is lighter than Chan expected, “if you want to tell me I’m hot you don’t need to hide it behind weird sayings.” He’s grinning, and Chan feels like an idiot for overreacting. Of course Minho wouldn’t see anything behind his statement. It’s harmless, thinking about it now. It’s not even that weird to call your friends hot, is it?   
“Chan,” Minho says, shaking Chan out his thoughts. Chan finally looks at him, though it makes his heart miss a beat again. Minho is smiling softly, probably sensing Chan’s inner dilemma. “Thanks for the compliment.” Minho says, then smirks a little “now wrap my presents for me.” He finishes and Chan has to laugh with him.  
He does end up wrapping all of Minho’s presents, even his own. Minho says it needs to be wrapped even if he knows what it is, for the Christmas spirit. And who is Chan to argue with that.

It’s a nice celebration, even if Hyunjin spills wine on the expensive carpet and almost cries about it, only stopped by Jisung promising over and over again that the carpet really was not that expensive and not that important and really it was not a big deal at all. Jeongin very unhelpfully throws a cushion over the stain, blissfully ignorant to the fact that that will just make the cushion stain too. Chan doesn’t mind. He’s just glad he can see his friends all together before he ends up staying in the apartment alone all Christmas, because his family is on the other side of the world and it’s not that easy for him to go home, so he’s opted out of it this year. It’ll be fine, he tells himself, though he knows he’ll be lonely. So he’s happy he can at least take the memory of all his friends in the living room into the holidays with him. 

The celebration eventually ends when Changbin is dozing off on the corner of the couch and Felix starts decorating his hair with popcorn, because Chan decides it’s time to get everyone to bed. Though Hyunjin decides to just crash in Changbin’s bed because Changbin isn’t moving from the couch anyway and he’s had ‘too much wine to get home safely’. Hyunjin lives two buildings over.   
Minho is the last to leave, by the time he finally finishes tying his shoes even Jisung is already in his room and it’s just him and Chan in the narrow hallway. Minho is leaving early in the morning, so he didn’t drink at all, but his cheeks are flushed anyway when he turns to Chan.   
“You know,” Minho says, struggling with his coat. “I don’t think it’s true.” Chan must have looked really confused because Minho laughs. “You said either you’re hot or you can wrap presents.” Minho reminds him of his earlier slip up. Chan nods. “I don’t think it’s true.” Minho repeats, finally successfully closing the zipper of his coat.

“Why?” Chan asks, curios of what the glint in Minho’s eyes means. Minho leans in, and Chan freezes at the sudden closeness. “Because you’re both.” Minho whispers, so quietly Chan almost doesn’t hear him. His mind is preoccupied with Minho’s breath on his ear before he even registers the words that he spoke.   
“Have a good Christmas, Channie,” Minho says, opening the door and already on his way to leave when Chan regains his consciousness. “You too” he manages to croak out and Minho smiles at him one more time before the door closes behind him.  
Chan doesn’t sleep much that night.

3\. New Year's Eve

Chan spends Christmas thinking about Minho. Well, he spends every day thinking about Minho, but it’s intensified after their last meeting. And he now has nothing else to do, no friends or roommates to distract him, no classes to attend and no group projects to take care of. His thoughts are a constant loop of “does Minho like me back? No, I’m sure he doesn’t. But then why did he flirt back those two times? But it wasn’t even flirting, he doesn’t think that’s flirting. But what if he does? Did he understand that I like him? No way. Maybe?” It keeps him up at night and even when he tries to distract himself it usually doesn’t work. 

It really doesn’t help at all that Minho keeps sending him cute messages every day. Chan wakes up to pictures of Minho’s cats and never goes to sleep without a good night message from him. It’s strange, Minho never bothered to text him good night before the holidays. Not that Chan is complaining. He enjoys talking to Minho every day, even if it’s not in person. Minho sends him a selfie with one of his cats on Christmas and Chan spends an hour just staring at it on his phone. Is it an exaggeration to say it’s the best gift he ever received? Probably.

On December 30th, Chan is woken up by his ringtone. He squints at his phone, no one usually calls him, and is suddenly wide awake when he sees it’s Minho calling. He picks up and mumbles “what” but Minho is already interrupting him. “Channieeee” he sing-songs, “open your door.” Chan gives his phone a confused look before he remembers Minho can’t see him. “What?” he says instead. “Just do it.” Minho says, before he hangs up. Chan gets out of bed, still confused, trudges down the hallway and opens the door just find Minho grinning at him from outside. He’s pretty sure his jaw drops. He rubs his eyes, once, twice, but Minho is still there. “Am I dreaming?” he asks, still confused. Minho laughs at him. “No, I came by for a surprise visit.” Minho says, stepping inside. 

Chan is still just looking at him dumbly. Minho looks him up and down and then raises an eyebrow, and that’s when Chan realizes he’s not wearing a shirt. His hands fly up to cover his chest, making Minho laugh out loud. “Oh, don’t worry” he says, “I’m not complaining.” Chan doesn’t even want to know just how red his face is.   
Once again, his brain to mouth filter fails in the presence of his crush, so he replies with “So you enjoy seeing me naked?” which effectively makes Minho stop laughing. He gives him a blank expression, just like last time, and Chan wants to strangle his brain, if that’s possible. “Uh.” He says intelligently. “Now that I made it weird, I'm going to make my exit." he says, and then clarifies “to put on a shirt. I am going to put on a shirt.” Minho just nods, but Chan notices his red ears when he walks past him. 

Chan still wonders if it’s possible to kill his own brain by the time he finishes getting dressed and brushing his teeth and goes to find Minho in the main room of the apartment. Minho is inspecting the wine stain on the carpet. He looks up when he hears Chan get closer. “It’s shaped like a cloud.” He says. Chan shrugs. “I never noticed.” He replies while sitting down across from him.  
“So,” he starts, trying to get rid of the weird air that’s around them and is entirely his own fault. “To what do I owe the honour of a visit from you?”. Minho smiles at him. “We have super annoying family friends visiting over New Year’s and I usually just hide in my room when they come over but then I thought why not come give you some company, since you’re also going to be alone, and it’s more fun to start the new year with others, right?” he explains, looking at Chan happily. Chan really wants to kiss him. “So?” Minho asks, because Chan went unresponsive thinking about his lips again. He really needs to get this under control. “I think yes.” Chan replies and Minho smiles again, standing up and reaching out his hand to Chan, who takes it and lets Minho pull him up. He tries his best not to think too much about just how soft Minho’s hands are.

So that’s how Chan and Minho end up on the roof of the apartment building which Chan is pretty sure they’re not meant to be on, on the night of the 31st of December, because Minho insisted they could see the fireworks so well from there.  
It’s freezing, the winter much colder than the one last year, and Minho is shivering next to Chan even though he’s wearing two jackets. “We can just go back inside too?” Chan suggests, not as affected by the cold as Minho is. “No.” Minho almost glares at him. “We’re going to start the new year right, and that is by watching the fireworks.” Minho says, almost pouting. It makes Chan’s brain malfunction again. “Don’t people start the new year with a kiss?” he asks back, and Minho whips his head around so fast Chan backs off in surprise. 

“Don’t ask if you don’t really want it, Channie,” Minho says, fully facing him. His ears are red, but Chan can’t tell if it’s because of the cold or because of his words. He knows he’s blushing too, Minho’s gaze intense as ever. He doesn’t get to answer, as the fireworks start going off behind them, telling them they missed the first seconds of the new year. Minho steps forward to link their arms together and turn Chan around to watch the fireworks. He was right, the view is incredible.  
But Chan’s mind is everywhere else, mostly on Minho’s lips and Minho close to him and Minho not seeming disgusted by the idea of kissing him and just overall Minho.

“Chan,” Minho says, when they’re walking down the stairs after the fireworks end. Chan turns around, two steps in front of him and Minho almost walks into him when he moves down one more step. “Yes?” Chan asks, but it comes out as a whisper. Minho is entirely too close, and his heart is not handling it well. Minho seems to contemplate something for a few seconds before he leans in and places a kiss on Chan’s forehead. “Happy New Year” he whispers, and all Chan can do is blink at him dumbly. Minho giggles, Chan can tell he’s nervous. “You said we had to start the year with a kiss, no?” Minho asks and Chan just nods. “I wasn’t expecting you to actually do it” he mumbles and Minho shrugs, but he’s smiling. “I’m unpredictable.” Then he lightly taps Chan’s shoulders, telling him to keep walking downstairs. 

Needless to say Chan doesn’t think about anything else than Minho’s lips for the rest of the night, the next day, or even the next week.

+1 Valentine's Day

January comes and goes in a flash, and Chan can barely remember it. Minho and him don’t talk about New Year’s, don’t talk about the shift in their relationship, don’t talk about how they almost kissed. They continue as usual, as friends, except Chan can tell it’s not the same. He can tell Minho knows Chan likes him, he’s almost sure at this point that Minho likes him back. But they don’t address it.  
Even their friends are getting tired of it, Seungmin has asked Chan multiple times when he’s finally going to confess to Minho. Chan thinks the answer is never. He can’t get himself to.

Lucky for him, Minho can. “Channie, what are you doing on Sunday?” he asks one Friday at the beginning of February. They’re standing at the bus stop, though there’s no snow anymore. Chan shrugs, he never does anything on Sundays, Minho knows that. “The same as always,” he replies and Minho nods, then looks him dead in the eyes, “Wanna spend the day with me?” he asks, and Chan just shrugs again. “Sure, why not?” he asks back, and Minho just stares. Chan stares back. Eventually Minho speaks again. “Channie, do you know what date Sunday is?” and Chan shakes his head. Minho laughs.

“Look it up later, and then let me know again if you want to spend it with me, okay?” he asks. “Okay.” Chan says, wondering why Minho said later when he could just as well check his phone calendar right now. “Your bus is here.” Minho motions behind Chan, who didn’t even notice. “Text me later about Sunday” Minho reminds once again, pushing him towards the bus door.   
Chan opens the calendar on his phone the second he sits down on the bus, and it hits him like a truck why Minho was so shocked about his nonchalant response earlier. Sunday is Valentine’s day. And Chan forgot. He almost screams. He would have screamed if he wasn’t in public. Minho asked him to spend Valentine’s together. His heart is breakdancing in his chest.

He calls Minho the second he closes the door to the apartment. He never usually calls but he doesn’t think he can text his feelings about this.   
Minho picks up after the first ring, and doesn’t even say hi. “I guess you figured out what day it is on Sunday?” he says and Chan just mumbles. “Sorry, can you repeat that?” Minho asks and Chan knows he is teasing him, he knows that, but it still makes him blush regardless. “You.” He starts, hearing Minho giggle. “You asked me to your valentine.” He says, and Minho is now fully laughing, the sound giving Chan butterflies even over the phone. “Mhm,” Minho hums, “and what is your answer?”. Chan has to take a deep breath before he responds. “Yes.” He says, not trusting his voice with more words. “Good.” Minho replies. “See you on Sunday then, Channie,” and he hangs up. Chan has to lean against the wall, he feels like he’s going to pass out.

Minho picks him up on Sunday, not telling him a single thing about where they’re going or what they’re doing. Chan opens the door to a grinning Minho, who immediately presents him with a pink bag, basically shoving it at him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Minho says, ears red again. Chan thinks it’s adorable. “I know you’re not the biggest fan of chocolate but it’s tradition, so I hope you enjoy them anyway,” he says, eyes big, and Chan can’t believe this is real. He tells Minho as much, which makes him laugh. “Why not?” he asks, following Chan inside, as Chan goes to hide the chocolates from Jisung. “Because I didn’t think you liked me? In that way…” Chan admits, and Minho lets out an almost offended sound. “That’s funny, considering I didn’t think you liked me that way before December.” Minho says. “Oh, no I’ve liked you since the first time we met.” Chan says, back turned towards Minho as he gently places the chocolates on the desk in his room. He turns around just to be met with the most shocked expression he’s ever seen on Minho’s face.

“You?? Are you serious?” Minho asks, taking a step towards Chan. Chan nods, “I’m sorry?” he offers and Minho huffs. “Yeah, you should be.” He says, taking another step closer. Chan is practically trapped between Minho and the desk now. “So you’re telling me.” Minho takes another step closer. “We could have been dating for years now?” Minho stops when he’s so close to Chan that Chan can feel the heat his body is emanating. “Why is it my fault?” Chan argues, “I didn’t know you liked me either?” Minho laughs. “That’s because you’re oblivious. I made it pretty clear from the beginning that I was interested in you.” Chan can’t say that he remembers that, but maybe Minho is right, maybe he is oblivious. “Well,” he says, locking his eyes with Minho’s, “We can be dating now.” He offers. Minho gives him another blinding smile. “We better be. Because that means I can finally do this.”   
Before Chan can even ask what Minho means, he feels his lips against his own. He’s shocked for a second before he kisses back. Minho’s lips are softer than he remembers, and Minho’s hands find their way to his waist almost immediately, holding onto him like he never wants to let him go again. Chan returns the feeling, bringing one of his hands to the back of Minho’s head as he deepens the kiss.

It’s Minho who pulls back first, laughing at Chan’s whine when he does so. “My plan for this date was not to just make out with you in your room. We have places to be.” He says, but he’s smile says he’s not actually bothered. Chan laughs. “But I like making out with you in my room.” He pouts. Minho fake sighs. “Wow I am dating a baby.” he rolls his eyes, annoyance still fake. Then he smiles softly. “We can go back to making out later. Date first.” He holds his hand out for Chan to take, who happily obliges. 

It’s definitely the best Valentine’s Day that Chan ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> It's my first time writing minchan and also my first 3+1 fanfic, so I hope it wasn't too bad!  
> I'm always happy about comments/constructive criticism^^


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